WJFB
WJFB, virtual and UHF digital channel 44, is a TCT Network-operated television station serving Nashville, Tennessee, United States that is licensed to Lebanon. Owned by HC2 Holdings, it is sister to low-power stations WCTZ-LD (channel 35) and WKUW-LD (channel 40); Tri-State Christian Television (TCT), which owned WJFB outright until May 2019, continues to operate the station under a local marketing agreement (LMA). WJFB's transmitter is located on Franklin Road, southwest of Lebanon. The station maintained studios on Music Circle in Nashville until TCT ended local operations in June 2018. History The station signed on the air on January 11, 1988, broadcasting on UHF channel 66. Prior to the digital television transition, WJFB aired programming from several different networks over the years including The Weather Channel, American Independent Network, America One (before adding the subchannel for that service, and then adding it again on its main channel, America One has since merged with Youtoo TV), The Military Channel, Shop at Home Network, ShopNBC, Jewelry Television, Youtoo TV and Pursuit Channel. The station also broadcast several local sports events and regional sports through America One. Former local sports events included local auto racing, local high school football, UT Martin football and basketball, Cincinnati Reds baseball (by way of SportsChannel Cincinnati) and Showtime All-Star Wrestling. The station also broadcast the Lebanon Christmas Parade for several years, before moving to local public access channels. The station once aired a morning news program, TV 66 Morning Report Live, hosted by the station's then-owner Joe F. Bryant, which aired weekdays from 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., and featured news headlines as well as weather forecasts, traffic reports, some local sports, and some telephone calls from viewers. Bryant's terminal illness led to the cancellation of the Morning Report. He died on October 10, 2011. WJFB continued to be operated by his surviving family members. Local church services were also aired on Sunday mornings on the main channel and were the main locally originated programming, until August 31, 2014, when those shows also moved to the cable only access channels. On February 4, 2013, WJFB reduced Jewelry Television programming on its main subchannel, to only one hour a day from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., since that network is now available 24 hours a day on Nashville/Lebanon area cable providers and was considered a secondary affiliation. The station relied on America One for all of its programming; Jewelry Television was still listed in the Internet and electronic programming guides as broadcasting 24 hours a day, until about mid-April 2013, when the information was updated to feature only America One programming on WJFB. On September 1, 2014, WJFB became an affiliate of The Pursuit Channel. WJFB broadcast The Pursuit Channel's programming around the clock except on Saturday mornings, when WJFB broadcast E/I programming through Youtoo TV to help meet Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements. The America One affiliation was still carried full-time on WJFB's second digital subchannel, until America One merged with Youtoo TV in September 2014. Programming from Youtoo TV was also seen on WJFB's second digital subchannel, until April 1, 2015, when the Youtoo affiliation was discontinued on that channel and replaced with an SD simulcast of the main channel. On April 3, 2015, WJFB moved the programming from the Pursuit Channel to its second subchannel entirely and replaced the Pursuit Channel's programming on its main subchannel with programming from TCT Network, which broadcast religious programming 24 hours a day. Though only E/I programming was still broadcast from Youtoo TV on both channels, WJFB discontinued all programming from Youtoo TV including its E/I programming, thus putting an end to the affiliation between Youtoo TV and WJFB. WJFB now broadcast E/I programming from TCT Kids on its main and second digital subchannel to help meet FCC requirements. However, on April 13, 2015, the Pursuit Channel affiliation was discontinued from the second subchannel and replaced with a HD feed of TCT Network, branded as TCT HD. On May 21, 2015, Bryant Broadcasting announced that they would sell WJFB along with W11BD to Dove Broadcasting, Inc. (a subsidiary of Tri-State Christian Television). The sale of both stations was finalized on August 17, 2015. On March 8, 2017, Dove Broadcasting announced that they would be transferring control of WJFB along with sister translator WJFB-LP to Radiant Life Ministries, Inc., another TCT subsidiary. On September 3, 2015, TCT HD was replaced with TCT Family on WJFB's main digital subchannel of 44.1 and TCT Kids was placed on digital subchannel 44.2. On August 30, 2017, WJFB launched the family-oriented subchannel network Light TV, owned by MGM Television on channel 44.3. On September 18, 2018, it was announced that Tri-State Christian Television would sell WJFB to HC2 Holdings for $5,750,000. The sale was finalized on May 3, 2019. It is still currently unknown if WJFB will keep the TCT affiliation or go independent. WJFB-LP was not included in the sale. WJFB-LP Prior to the digital transition, WJFB relayed its signal on low-power translator station originally under the call sign W11BD in Lebanon. That station signed on in 1987, carrying the same programming from WJFB, and signed off sometime in 2009 during the digital television transition. There are three construction permits active for the translator: one to convert the translator station to digital broadcasting, another to return the station translator to the air, and a third to relocate the translator station to digital channel 18 when the conversion to digital for the translator station is completed. On May 21, 2015, Bryant Broadcasting announced that they would sell W11BD along with WJFB to Dove Broadcasting. The sale of both stations was finalized on August 17, 2015. On June 2, 2016, the call sign for W11BD was changed to WJFB-LP to match the call sign for the full-powered sister station WJFB. WJFB-LP is currently silent while TCT evaluates its plans for the translator. Category:Channel 44 Category:Lebanon Category:Nashville Category:Tennessee Category:Television channels and stations established in 1988 Category:1988 Category:Tri-State Christian Television Category:Former America One affiliates Category:Former Jewelry Television Affiliates Category:Former ShopNBC Affiliates Category:Former Shop at Home affiliates Category:UHF Category:Other Tennessee Stations Category:Light TV Affiliates Category:MeTV Affiliates Category:Heroes & Icons affiliates stations Category:Start TV Affiliates Category:Decades Affiliates Category:Movies! Affiliates Category:TCT affiliated stations